Dubai Tennis Championships 2024: Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Coco Gauff vs (Q) Anna Kalinskaya
Date: February 22, 2024
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championships 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Centre, Dubai
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $3,211,715
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya preview
Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff will square off against qualifier Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
As one of the top seeds here, Gauff received a bye into the second round where she faced Elisabetta Cocciaretto. She commenced her campaign with a 6-1, 7-5 win over the Italian.
Gauff then took on former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the third round, who was on an 11-match winning streak. The teenager's level was not up to the mark in the first set, while the Czech was in the zone and thus claimed the set.
Gauff struck first in the second set to go 2-0 up but Pliskova broke back to remain on serve. The teenager snagged another break and this time held on to the lead until she served for the set at 5-3.
Gauff got broken once again at this point but secured another break of serve to clinch the set. The two were on even footing for most of the third set until the American broke the deadlock. She bagged the last three games of the match to record a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win.
Kalinskaya defeated Rebeka Masarova and Kamila Rakhimova to book her place in the main draw. She eased past Storm Hunter 6-1, 6-2 in her opener and then bested Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 in the next round.
Kalinsakaya was up against Jelena Ostapenko in the third round. The Russian swept five games in a row from 4-1 down to take the first set. She overcame a break deficit in the second set too and nabbed the final three games of the contest to register a 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Coco Gauff vs Anna Kalinskaya prediction
Gauff overcame a slow start to down a resurgent Pliskova. The teen's serve cost her the first set as she threw in eight double faults and could only win 23% of her second serve points. Her ground game was a little off too and further added to her woes.
But Gauff improved as the match went on and a bad call by the chair umpire saw her up the intensity even more. Kalinskaya has been in great form this week and has played some of her best tennis since the start of the season.
The Russian reached her maiden Major quarterfinal at the Australian Open and has won all her matches in Dubai in straight sets. It'll be imperative for her to close this one out quickly as the longer the match goes on, the more it'll favor Gauff. This could go down to the wire but the teenager will be favored to emerge victorious.
Pick: Coco Gauff to win in three sets.